Laurent Ballesta claims second Wildlife Photographer of the Year win with horseshoe crab

Carmel Bechler from Israel won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award

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  EMBARGOED TO 2330 TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE, NO CROPPING, CAN ONLY BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM'S WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION MANDATORY CREDIT: Laurent Ballesta/Wildlife Photographer of the Year THE FOLLOWING MUST APPEAR CLEARLY AND LEGIBLY IN EDITORIAL COPY: Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. Undated handout photo issued by Natural History Museum of 'The golden horseshoe', a a tri-spine horseshoe crab moving slowly over the mud at Pangatalan Island, Palawan, the Philippines, by Laurent Ballesta, from France, which has won the Portfolio Award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and he was also awarded the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023. Issue date: Tuesday October 10, 2023. PA Photo. Mandatory credit must read: Laurent Ballesta/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

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  'Hippo nursery', a hippopotamus and her two offspring resting in the shallow lake at Kosi Bay, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa, by Mike Korostelev, has won the Underwater award. Mike Korostelev / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Whales making waves', which shows a pod of orcas as they prepare to 'wave wash' a Weddell seal at the Antarctic Peninsula, by Bertie Gregory, from Britain, has won the Behaviour: Mammals award. Bertie Gregory / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'The tadpole banquet', captured toad tadpoles feasting on a dead fledgling sparrow at Ojen, Malaga, Spain, by Juan Jesus Gonzalez Ahumada, has won the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles award. Juan Jesus Gonzalez Ahumada / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Silence for the snake show', a photo showing grey-winged trumpeters watching a boa slither past at Guiana Space Centre, between Kourou and Sinnamary, French Guiana, by Hadrien Lalague, has won the Behaviour: Birds award. Hadrien Lalague / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Lights fantastic', showing a night sky and a forest illuminated with fireflies at Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India, by Sriram Murali, from India, has won the Behaviour: Invertebrates award. Sriram Murali / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Life on the edge', two Nubian ibex at Zin Desert, Israel, by Amit Eshel, has won the Animals in their Environment award. Amit Eshel / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Face of the forest', a lowland tapir in Tapirai, Sao Paulo, Brazil, by Vishnu Gopal, from India, has won the Animal Portraits award. Vishnu Gopal / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Last gasp', capturing a beached orca at Cadzand-Bad, Zeeland, the Netherlands by Lennart Verheuvel, has won the Oceans: The Bigger Picture award. Lennart Verheuvel / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'The dead river', a picture of the polluted Ciliwung river winding through Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, by Joan de la Malla, from Spain, has won the Wetlands - The Bigger Picture award. Joan de la Malla / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Birds of the midnight sun', showing kittiwake chicks illuminated in an abandoned factory at Vardo, Norway, by Knut-Sverre Horn, from Norway, has won the Urban Wildlife award. Knut-Sverre Horn / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'The tourism bulldozer', depicting the path of a new cross-country tourist railway line at Paamul, Mexico, by Fernando Constantino Martinez Belmar, from Mexico, has won the Photojournalism award. Fernando Constantino Martinez Belmar / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'The unprotected', An image of contestants lining up to have their bobcats weighed in the March 2022 West Texas Big Bobcat Contest, by Karine Aigner, from the US, has won the Photojournalist Story Award. Karine Aigner / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Last breath of autumn', a picture showing fungus releasing its spores in the forest at Mount Olympus, Pieria, Greece, by Agorastos Papatsanis, has won the Plants and Fungi award. Agorastos Papatsanis / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Alpine exposure', a picture of an ibex in snow at the Vercors Regional Natural Park, Rhone-Alpes, France by Luca Melcarne, from France, has won the Rising Star Portfolio Award. Luca Melcarne / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Owls' road house', at Hof HaSharon, Israel, by Carmel Bechler, from Israel, has won the 15 - 17 Years award. Carmel Bechler / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'Out of the blue', bottlenose dolphins at Portree, Isle of Skye, by Ekaterina Bee from Italy, has won the 11-14 Years award. Ekaterina Bee / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

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  'The wall of wonder', showing an ornamental tree trunk spider preventing its prey from escaping at Nallur Heritage Tamarind Grove, India, by Vihaan Talya Vikas, has won the 10 Years and Under award. Vihaan Talya Vikas / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

French underwater photographer and marine biologist Laurent Ballesta has once again clinched the esteemed Wildlife Photographer of the Year title.

His winning photograph showcases a tri-spine horseshoe crab gliding through the protected waters of Pangatalan Island, Philippines, accompanied by three golden trevally fish.

Judging panel chairwoman Kath Moran lauded the image as “luminescent”, underscoring its significance in depicting an ancient species now under threat.

Mr Ballesta is only the second person in the Natural History Museum's 59-year-old competition to have won the prize twice.

His first award was in 2021 for a shot of camouflage grouper fish in a swirl of eggs and sperm in Fakarava, French Polynesia.

The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award went to Carmel Bechler from Israel for snapping several barn owls in a hollowed-out concrete building by a roadside.

He used his family's car as a hide with long exposure times to capture the light trails of passing traffic.

The competition, hosted by the Natural History Museum, welcomed nearly 50,000 entries from 95 countries this year.

In reflecting on this year's entries, Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, emphasised the powerful messages they carry about human impact on nature.

“While inspiring absolute awe and wonder, this year's winning images present compelling evidence of our impact on nature – both positive and negative,” he said.